Kant Twist alternative?

[VicParticipant @vic]

I’ve found a supplier of 2.5mm thick mild steel & stainless 304 sheet on the auction site. If I want any more clamps I may dig out my old jigsaw to see if it’s up to the job of cutting out some side plates. If it is I may make my own next time. Changing the design slightly to provide the ability to change the clamping blocks could prove useful.

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

Posted by mark costello 1 on 04/12/2021 20:01:37:

There is a person offering a kit for some small kant twist clamps, side plates are laser cut from thinner plate. I hesitate to post an off the board link as I do not want to offend anyone. It comes with plans to finish the clamps. Would be suitable for smaller projects. I do not have one here with Me to measure but can get it if anyone interested. You have to supply the v blocks and screws. He includes side plates and screws to fasten them. This is from across the pond. PM for details.

I have ordered a set [from Canada], still in the box waiting for me to make them.

Tony

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 04/12/2021 20:32:55:

Posted by Tony Pratt 1 on 04/12/2021 17:16:09:

Most previously decent brand of tools have reduced their quality so they can compete price wise.

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It’s a delicate balance, but [based upon what Vic has shown] Kant appears to have missed the appropriate point on the Value for Money curve by rather a long way.

MichaelG.

I just looked again at the two I bought, and there is no sign of twisting or bending and the screws work very smoothly (thought one is slightly tighter than the other). I suspect that the bent one got damaged in transit so it could be unfair to conclude that their quality has slipped based on one data point.

[VicParticipant @vic]

I’ve seen one kit offered online but it was more expensive than buying them ready made. And that was without import duty, VAT and shipping.

The patent ran out years ago and there are plenty of drawings around.

**LINK**

[VicParticipant @vic]

[VicParticipant @vic]

Well, the replacement Kant Twist clamp arrived today and I now have not one but two twisted clamps!

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

Silly question, but they don't straighten up when in use, do they?

Rob

[VicParticipant @vic]

As the threads are binding quite badly I’m not inclined to try. But I would say no, I don’t believe the construction is “loose” enough to correct the fault on tightening.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Vic on 07/12/2021 14:51:04:

Well, the replacement Kant Twist clamp arrived today and I now have not one but two twisted clamps!

 

.

… What’s in a name eh ?

MichaelG.

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P.S. __ are they still ‘Made in the USA’ these days ?

Having seen the photo here, I have to wonder: https://www.reddit.com/r/Tools/comments/ci2ssb/kanttwist_clamps_the_very_best_clamps_money_can/

 

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 07/12/2021 16:35:34

[VicParticipant @vic]

I’ve had a phone call from MSC and all the rest they have in stock are the same. So it seems like a manufacturing defect. MSC are arranging to collect them and give me a refund.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Good result

MichaelG.

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

Posted by Vic on 05/12/2021 11:11:22:

I’ve seen one kit offered online but it was more expensive than buying them ready made. And that was without import duty, VAT and shipping.

The patent ran out years ago and there are plenty of drawings around.

**LINK**

Here's my suggestion, to be cut from 3mm steel when I can afford the components for my chassis:

They're 50mm deep, M8 studding and they'll be held together with M5 screws. As you can never have enough clamps, I'll be ordering enough for at least 6.

The above pictures of twisted ones suggest I should add some more bolt through spacers.

[VicParticipant @vic]

It’s time for plan B. Not sure when I’ll be able to implement it but I’ve ordered some 2.5mm thick steel sheet. I have plenty of round stock for the turned components. I’m going for a roughly 2” clamp and the KT had a 1/4” screw so I’ll probably use M6 studding rather than turn down some larger rod and thread it. Any clever suggestions for securing the head for the cross bar? I’m thinking just to screw on a larger “boss” and cross drill it say 4mm?

I’ll be using the plan pictured above. When printed out on my laser at 95% it is virtually the same as a 2” KT which is perfect for my needs.

[VicParticipant @vic]

Not just me it seems.

**LINK**

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Vic on 07/12/2021 21:14:27:

Not just me it seems.

**LINK**

.

There’s an interesting comment there, about change of ownership.

MichaelG.

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Way back when I started scratching out my DIY version of the Kant-Twist / Crab clamp on the backs of envelopes I reckoned the riveted pin and spacer construction was a major potential weak point if not precisely made. Seemed to me that it was one of those things that could only be done accurately and precisely on a production line with professionally set up tooling.

Getting things sufficiently precise with joint and gaps tight enough to ensure that things wouldn't try to twist whilst still being free moving looked to be a nightmare by one-at-a-time methods with simple pin and rivet construction.

Ended up with various combinations of welding, pressed in spacers having washers on the outer ends so the riveted over through pins wouldn't be hammered down against the arms and other associated exercises in misguided creativity to properly support the joints. None of which gave that nice warm feeling of working really well first time out.

After a week of lunchtime efforts I concluded that I didn't want some that badly and would be unlikly to seriously worried by not having any. 30 or so years on that turned out to be about right. Maybe half a dozen jobs where they would have been seriously better than what I had.

My then boss reckoned the reputation was mostly "American Hype" and flop-slop was inherent.

Clive

[VicParticipant @vic]

What appears to be the case in the ones I received is that the parts weren’t parallel when they were riveted. I would think that some sort of jig to keep them aligned would be required. It is often the case that I find myself wishing I could visit the factory so I could see for myself where things went wrong. I say this as MSC said all the clamps they have in stock of that size all looked like the ones they sent me. I can’t (Kant!) believe they all got damaged in transit?

I have seen designs that used milled out solid metal rather than riveted plates but thats quite a bit of work and tight tolerances/finish to ensure they work smoothly. I did think a while ago that a combination of solid and plates might work though.

[VicParticipant @vic]

This is CAD drawing of a posh one.

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

Guys you aren't likely to damage a steel clamp in 'transit', this issue has all the hallmarks of out sourcing to a lower cost facility

Tony

[John BaronParticipant @johnbaron31275]

Hi Guys,

This picture contains all the data required to design what ever size Kant type clamp you may want to make.

Note that the size is based on two concentric circles, all the holes bar one fall on a circle. The symmetry makes designing your own easy. The dimensions on this drawing are the ones that I used to make 100 mm clamps.

I had my four pairs of frames laser cut from 3 mm plate for the sum of £10.00.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

That’s neat, John

… and the laser-cutting sounds a bargain !

MichaelG.

[VicParticipant @vic]

I’ve seen some really nice looking components that were water jet cut but I don’t know anyone locally and I can’t supply a CAD drawing anyway. I’ll have to make do with my jigsaw. I’ve simplified the design to reduce the amount of work required.

[John BaronParticipant @johnbaron31275]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 08/12/2021 21:44:53:

That’s neat, John

… and the laser-cutting sounds a bargain !

MichaelG.

Hi Michael,

I thought so too !

The chap that did the laser cutting said that they were in the process of cutting a load of 3 mm sheet and that there was quite large areas of that, that were scrap, and that he could put my bits onto the existing job and reduce the amount of material that they would only throw away. I actually ended up with a couple of pieces of 3 mm plate as well.

[VicParticipant @vic]

A quick sketch in OO.

[Author]

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